November 4, 2019

The Universe Might Be a Giant Loop (Source: Live Science)
Everything we think we know about the shape of the universe could be wrong. Instead of being flat like a bedsheet, our universe may be curved, like a massive, inflated balloon, according to a new study. That's the upshot of a new paper published today (Nov. 4) in the journal Nature Astronomy, which looks at data from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the faint echo of the Big Bang. But not everyone is convinced; the new findings, based on data released in 2018, contradict both years of conventional wisdom and another recent study based on that same CMB data set.

If the universe is curved, according to the new paper, it curves gently. That slow bending isn't important for moving around our lives, or solar system, or even our galaxy. But travel beyond all of that, outside our galactic neighborhood, far into the deep blackness, and eventually — moving in a straight line — you'll loop around and end up right back where you started. Cosmologists call this idea the "closed universe." It's been around for a while, but it doesn't fit with existing theories of how the universe works. So it's been largely rejected in favor of a "flat universe" that extends without boundary in every direction and doesn't loop around on itself.

Now, an anomaly in data from the best-ever measurement of the CMB offers solid (but not absolutely conclusive) evidence that the universe is closed after all, according to the authors: University of Manchester cosmologist Eleonora Di Valentino, Sapienza University of Rome cosmologist Alessandro Melchiorri and Johns Hopkins University cosmologist Joseph Silk. The difference between a closed and open universe is a bit like the difference between a stretched flat sheet and an inflated balloon, Melchiorri told Live Science. In either case, the whole thing is expanding. When the sheet expands, every point moves away from every other point in a straight line. When the balloon is inflated, every point on its surface gets farther away from every other point, but the balloon's curvature makes the geometry of that movement more complicated. (11/4)

Interstellar Space Even Weirder Than Expected, NASA's Voyager 2 Reveals (Source: National Geographic)
In the blackness of space billions of miles from home, NASA’s Voyager 2 marked a milestone of exploration, becoming just the second spacecraft ever to enter interstellar space in November 2018. Now, a day before the anniversary of that celestial exit, scientists have revealed what Voyager 2 saw as it crossed the threshold—and it’s giving humans new insight into some of the big mysteries of our solar system.

The findings, spread across five studies published today in Nature Astronomy, mark the first time that a spacecraft has directly sampled the electrically charged hazes, or plasmas, that fill both interstellar space and the solar system’s farthest outskirts. It’s another first for the spacecraft, which was launched in 1977 and performed the first—and only—flybys of the ice giant planets Uranus and Neptune. (Find out more about the Voyager probes’ “grand tour”—and why it almost didn’t happen.)

Voyager 2’s charge into interstellar space follows that of sibling Voyager 1, which accomplished the same feat in 2012. The two spacecrafts’ data have many features in common, such as the overall density of the particles they’ve encountered in interstellar space. But intriguingly, the twin craft also saw some key differences on their way out—raising new questions about our sun’s movement through the galaxy. (11/4)

With Another Shutdown Threatened by Trump, Federal Contractors Still Fighting for Backpay After Shutdown 9 Months Ago (Source: WMFE)
It’s been nine months since the end of a 35-day federal shutdown–the longest in American history–and more than a million federal contractors have still not received their missed pay. Hasan Solomon is with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers-a union that represents thousands of contractors at NASA. Solomon says these Central Florida workers took a ten percent cut to their pay.

“A lot of people in this country are living check to check let alone you can not even imagine how horrific it would be to lose 10 percent of your income for the entire year with no time in the future of being reimbursed.” Solomon says the union is calling on the Senate to include missed pay for these contractors in their 2020 appropriations bill. He says the House has already voted to reimburse these workers in theirs. “And unfortunately everyone has been made whole but these workers. Federal workers which we also represent they received their backpay. Congress got paid during that time.” (11/3)

CraigX Successfully Launched to ISS (Source: Craig Technologies)
Craig Technologies Aerospace Solutions (Craig) is pleased to announce the successful launch of CraigX, their on-orbit external experimental facility hosted on the NanoRacks International Space Station External Platform (NREP). The mission launched on the Northrop Grumman Antares rocket mission NG-12 under the NASA Commercial Resupply Services (CRS2) contract.

The CraigX Flight Test Platform (FTP), was designed, manufactured and assembled in-house at their facilities in Cape Canaveral, FL. It is designed to mount externally to the International Space Station (ISS) and promote electronics testing to raise Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) at a low cost and a reduced time frame. The interchangeable panel design minimizes hardware changes between missions while maximizing flexibility to accommodate customer requirements. Additive manufactured hardware is used internally to reduce manufacturing cost and schedule. (11/4)

North Korea Conducts New Test of 'Super-Large' Rocket Launcher (Source: Space Daily)
North Korea has carried out a "successful" new test of its "super-large multiple rocket launcher" system, state media said Friday -- the latest in a series of provocations by Pyongyang. South Korea's military said Thursday that the North had launched two short-range projectiles from South Pyongan province. They each flew approximately 370 kilometers (230 miles). It was the latest in a series of launches by the North but the first since October 2, when it fired a sea-launched missile. (10/31)

Boeing/Starliner in Successful Pad Abort Test; Some Issues Observed (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
At the White Sands Missile Range proving grounds in New Mexico, Boeing has conducted a critical test of their Starliner vehicle on a Pad Abort Test. The test occurred 15 minutes into the window 09:15 EST, with Boeing testing the Launch Abort Engines and Orbital Maneuvering and Attitude Control thrusters aboard Starliner that would be used to pull the vehicle and crew away from a failing Atlas V rocket either on the launch pad or during flight.

The test appears to have, overall, been a success in that all eight objectives were visually met. However, a potential significant issue was the failure of one of Starliner’s three main parachutes. Video of the test appeared to show all three chutes deploy, but only two remained attached to Starliner – a significant issue that will have to be investigated and evaluated. Parachute issues have plagued the Commercial Crew Program, and Boeing’s chute issues do not appear to be behind them. (11/4)

ConsenSys Space Launches TruSat, An Open-source Space Sustainability System (Source: Space In Africa)
As our societal dependence on space technologies grows, so grows the number of satellites in orbit, and the urgency of addressing the long-term sustainability of the space environment. Amid projections of a tenfold increase in the number of satellites in low Earth orbit, avoiding collisions between satellites is essential to space sustainability.

Across the world, enlightened satellite operators, governments, and NGOs are working to define guidelines, best practices, and standards for sustainable orbital operations. Translating these efforts into sustainable outcomes, however, will require enhanced transparency, predictability, and accountability for orbital operations. In a bold step toward transparency, predictability, and accountability in orbit, ConsenSys Space introduced TruSat as a platform-led initiative with its partners, the Secure World Foundation, Professor Moriba Jah of the University of Texas at Austin, and the Society of Women in Space Exploration (SWISE). (11/1)

ESA Confident That ExoMars Parachute Issues Will Be Resolved (Source: Space News)
Top officials with the European Space Agency remain confident that parachute problems with the ExoMars 2020 mission can be corrected in time for its launch next summer. Ground tests of the parachutes are underway at JPL facilities, with high-altitude balloon tests scheduled for early next year. The focus of the work is on the parachute extraction system, which appears to be the cause of tearing in the parachutes in two tests earlier this year. Officials said they believe the problem can be fixed in time for a launch in late July or early August, in part because the parachutes can be integrated into the Mars lander late in pre-launch processing. (11/4)

SpaceX Sees Consecutive Successes With Dragon Capsule Parachute Tests (Source: Space News)
SpaceX has conducted 13 consecutive successful tests of its new commercial crew parachute system. The company released video Sunday of the latest test last week, the first to involve three of the new Mark 3 parachutes. The previous 12 tests involved a single parachute, while the complete system that will be used on Crew Dragon spacecraft features four parachutes. The company acknowledged that the first two tests of Mark 3 parachutes failed, but that it worked with parachute company Airborne Systems to revise the design that has since been successful. SpaceX hopes to have the parachutes, one of the key technologies required for the spacecraft, certified by the end of the year. (11/4)

China Plans Lunar Sample Return Next Year (Source: Space News)
China now plans to launch its Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission late next year. The mission will attempt to collect and return around two kilograms of lunar samples from a site close to Mons Rümker, a volcanic formation situated in the Oceanus Procellarum region of western edge of the near side of the moon. Its launch has been delayed by problems with the Long March 5 rocket, which failed in a July 2017 launch and whose return to flight is now expected to take place in the second half of December. Chang'e-5 will fly after the Long March 5 launch of China's first Mars mission in mid-2020. (11/4)

China's Lunar Lander Travels 318 Meters in 11 Lunar Days (Source: Xinhua)
China's Chang'e-4 lunar lander mission has completed its eleventh lunar day. The lander's Yutu-2 rover is now 218 meters from the lander, having driven more than 318 meters across the surface since the spacecraft landed in early January. Chinese officials said the instruments on both the lander and rover and working well, but provided few other details about the science they have returned. (11/4)

India Plans Lunar Lander 'Soon' (Source Live Mint)
India will make another attempt to land on the moon in the relatively near future. K. Sivan, chairman of the Indian space agency ISRO, said Saturday that the agency was working on plans for a second lander mission, but hasn't yet set a date for that mission. The Vikram lander, flown as part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, crashed on final approach to the lunar surface nearly two months ago, but ISRO has yet to disclose what might have caused the failed landing. (11/4)

Cygnus Delivers Cargo to ISS (Source: Space News)
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station this morning, two days after its launch from Virginia. A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket launched the Cygnus at 9:59 a.m. Eastern Saturday from Wallops Island, Virginia. The Cygnus, flying a mission designated NG-12, arrived at the station and was berthed by the station's robotic arm to the Unity module at 6:21 a.m. Eastern. The Cygnus is carrying more than 3,700 kilograms of cargo, such as a wide range of experiments, equipment to repair the station's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer instrument, and several cubesats, including technology demonstrations for the Air Force and NRO. The mission is the first for the follow-on CRS-2 cargo contracts to continue supplying the ISS through at least 2024. (11/4)

Air Force Considers Approaches to 'Nationalizing' Its Spaceports (Source: Space News)
The Air Force is studying how launch ranges can become "national spaceports" to better support the commercial space industry. The Air Force Space Command will hold a tabletop exercise this week to gather ideas on how to transform the military’s launch ranges into multi-use national spaceports. That exercise comes after the Air Force issued a request for information in September seeking ideas for how existing launch facilities in Florida and California can be transformed into "flexible and agile sites" that support both national security and commercial missions.

Editor's Notes: Some past ideas have included putting CCAFS and VAFB under new federally empowered transportation authorities (like those established to operate airports like the Reagan National Airport serving Washington DC.), or using the Air Force's approach to hosting 'dual use' airports at military bases, like Eglin Air Force Base hosting the municipally managed Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport). These allow quasi-municipal transportation authorities to manage infrastructure development and utilization, with incentives to maximize access to the capabilities (incentives not necessarily in place for Air Force (and NASA) when they operate the spaceport infrastructure). (11/4)

Virginia Innovation Roadmap Includes Space and Satellites (Source: SCHEV)
Knowledge, innovation and collaboration drive economic growth. Virginia’s strongest asset for such growth is the collective expertise of its institutions of higher education. Therefore, the state’s postsecondary coordinating body, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), is uniquely suited to develop a strategic roadmap to grow the Commonwealth’s innovation economy.

Following statutory changes in 2017, SCHEV developed in 2019 a draft Commonwealth Research and Technology Strategic Roadmap (the Roadmap) to identify research areas worthy of economic development and institutional focus. The Virginia Research Investment Committee (VRIC) then sought review from the executive and legislative branches prior to approving the new Roadmap, final approval of which rests with the Governor.

The areas of research focus identified through the new Roadmap-development process as exhibiting the most worth and promise for Virginia are: 1. Life and health sciences; 2. Autonomous systems; 3. Space and satellites; 4. Agricultural and environmental technologies; 5. Cybersecurity; and 6. Data science and analytics. Click here. (10/8)

Italy’s D-Orbit Selected By OneWeb For Active Debris Removal In ESA Project Sunrise Framework (Source: SpaceWatch Global)
OneWeb has awarded a subcontract to D-Orbit SpA for the development of an active debris removal (ADR) mission in the frame of European Space Agency (ESA) Project Sunrise.

Project Sunrise is a public-private partnership (PPP) between OneWeb, currently developing a world-wide communications network based on a proprietary satellite constellation, and the European Space Agency’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems program (ESA/ARTES), an ESA initiative to help private partners pursue valuable research and development connected to their businesses that will benefit the industry as a whole.

As part of this PPP, OneWeb will research space and satellite-related key to support the integration and deployment of their first-generation telecommunications satellite system and to enable the development and operations of the next generation. (11/4)

Nuking the Site From Orbit: When the Air Force Wanted a Base On the Moon (Source: Space Review)
A plot point in the new TV series “For All Mankind” features establishing a base on the Moon. Dwayne Day discusses how that was seriously considered by the Air Force in studies at the beginning of the Space Age. Click here. (11/4)
 
Space Exploration and Nuclear Proliferation (Source: Space Review)
NASA is developing space nuclear power systems that could enable long-duration stays on the Moon and faster missions to Mars. But, Jeff Foust reports, NASA’s choice of fuels has raised concerns in the nuclear nonproliferation community. Click here. (11/4)
 
Space Weapons Are Proliferating Fast: Should We Accept It? (Source: Space Review)
More countries are talking about developing and testing anti-satellite systems. Taylor Dinerman argues that the US should accept space is a future battlefield and act accordingly. Click here. (11/4)

China  Conducts Simulated Weightlessness Experiment for Long-Term Stay In Space (Source: Xinhua)
Thirty-six healthy male volunteers lay on beds with their heads low and feet high for 90 days for an experiment to simulate weightlessness that will pave the way for Chinese astronauts' long-term stay in space. The number of people simultaneously participating in such an experiment was a world record, Li Yinghui, deputy chief designer for the astronaut system of China's manned space program, recently told the first China Space Science Assembly. The Earth Star-2 experiment, conducted by the China Astronaut Research and Training Center, is preparation for China's space station, which is expected to be completed around 2022. (11/4)